Thursday, 3 March 2011

We know best

Every poll ever taken in the UK shows a clear majority in favour or leaving the EU. We have been promised a referendum on our continued membership, first by Gordon Brown, then by Nick Clegg, and finally by 'Cast Iron' Dave Cameron. None of these have come to pass. Until now, denial of a voice to the British people has been a matter of dither and obfuscation rather than outright refusal. There has always been a good reason for 'not yet'.

But Downing Street insisted that the issue of EU membership was not on thetable. A spokesman said: “The Government believes that membership of the EU isin the national interest, and for this reason there will not be a referendum onwhether we remain a member state.

So that's quite clear, then. In black and white.

We know best.We know what you are going to say.So we won't ask you.

Counterproductive to treat children like this. Illegal to treat employees like this. Government policy to treat a nation of 60m like this.

You're not a half-wit, but apparently you may be Peter Gabriel ("I Know What I Like", Genesis, 1973).

I'd quite like to see the evidence that leads the government to "believe" membership is in the national interest. Surely, if it's much of a case, it could form the basis of their referendum campaign...

It's because the 'evidence' can only be understood by important people. The EU is in our interest, but you have to be super-intelligent, far-sighted and of the right frame of mind to see it. One of us, as it were. The plebs wouldn't get it, and if we gave them the chance they would only disagree, and that would spoil it for everyone. Best that we just carry on.

My 'support' is temporary. I have no idea how competent UKIP would be as a government, so any support is highly conditional. But I have come to the opinion that getting out of the EU is the one thing that must happen before anything else. After we do that, it's game on.

In fact, a good approach for UKIP would be to say to the electorate: vote for us in numbers; we will take Britain out of the EU and then hold an immediate General Election. That would allow doubters like me the chance to vote UKIP without binding the country to an inexperienced and untried - and potentially disastrous - government for five years. I am not saying that UKIP are necessarily like that, but it would remove the element of gamble from a UKIP vote.